• Stamets@lemmy.worldOP
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      9 months ago

      It’s not the wage. It’s an enlistment bonus for shipping out to basic within a short time frame of enlisting. Meant to help fill vacancies in the Army.

      • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Nobody wants to join the military because people are tired of going to fight strangers in foreign countries they have no beef with. We’re figuring out that our military is actually more of a terrorist organization with veto power in NATO.

        Plus you know, people are worried about the impending climate crisis and the future water wars more than the geopolitical dick swinging the military is used to enforce.

        • thedirtyknapkin@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          plus all we ever hear about from vets is how this country refuses to take care of them… the abysmal state of veteran care in this country has broken the line in many traditionally long running military families. like, if big papa breadwinner of the traditional southern family comes back broken and unable to work that family just ends up on the street. that alone breaks that chain of what may have been 10 generations of military men. now think of every less extreme scenario and how common they are and how they affects the minds of those children that may have previously been gung-ho to sign up.

          veterans these days have little pride over what they accomplished or failed to accomplish, the war stories are hard to make glorious sounding, they all have some severe medical issue caused by the military that the military refuses to acknowledge and/or help them with, so very many homeless veterans…

          I’m not at all pro military, but even I can see how ridiculously fucked it is that a man can sign his life away to fight for a county and for that county to not even have the decency to pick him up out of the fucking dirt after…

          • mojofrododojo@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            veterans these days have little pride over what they accomplished or failed to accomplish, the war stories are hard to make glorious sounding, they all have some severe medical issue caused by the military that the military refuses to acknowledge and/or help them with, so very many homeless veterans…

            I don’t disagree with your conclusion but fyi - korean vietnam and 80s conflicts vets very rarely have gung-ho battle glory stories to sell. they experienced as much trauma as iraq/afghanistan vets, there’s not a lot of glory to go around. the familial tradition of service is being broken, but the service is also trying to diversify and get away from being 80%+ legacy/ mil family tradition we had in the 90s.

            • thedirtyknapkin@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              i wasn’t trying to be exclusive to only the most recent conflicts. this is a thing that’s been developing and getting worse for a long time. i never thought anyone had any proud battle stories from those eras either. pretty much since wwii as far as i can tell…

      • BoofStroke@sh.itjust.works
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        9 months ago

        Not to mention clothing, housing, food are all taken care of too. Not to mention perks of military base discounts and programs.

    • Buelldozer@lemmy.today
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      9 months ago

      It is when you are in the military and housing, food, and healthcare are paid for. At that point all you REALLY need the 35K for is to buy a V6 Camaro (or Mustang).

      • mojofrododojo@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        bah, someone hasn’t been on post in the last decade… it’s all about 'dem chargers now. fucking chargers, as far as the eye can see… oh look, there’s one getting repo’d now, to later be resold to some e3 on a ridiculous loan! the majesty of nature!

        • Facebones@reddthat.com
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          9 months ago

          I remember my base tours where they desperately try to accentuate the “for sale” lot your fancy car will inevitably be on in 6 months, unsurprisingly it deterred approx nobody.

    • ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de
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      9 months ago

      That’s the sign on bonus. The salary is around $22,000 a year starting. Abysmal, but you don’t have to pay for much. Food, and housing and insurance is covered.

      Army wouldn’t be my choice, but my best friend did his 20 and out in the air force and climbed high enough in the ranks that he was making six figures. He got to retire at 38 with free Healthcare the rest of his life and gets like $60k a year and got to go to a lot of cool places (as well as shit ones, of course). AF or coast guard be about the only ones I’d consider.

      • yacht_boy@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Guy I worked with retired from the Navy as a captain and got whatever very generous pay came with that. Then used his veterans preference to get a job in my agency, did that for 20+ years, retired as a gs 14 so he gets that annuity plus his TSP savings plus social security in a few years. He’s still barely 60, so he is working as a consultant. I’m guessing he’s pulling down $200k with all the various incomes and maybe working 20 hours a week, and he’s got the Healthcare and other benefits for life. People trash talk the military and government but if you work the system right it can be worthwhile. Hell, I wish I’d joined just so I could get USAA.

      • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        I knew a marine growing up. Fully into all things marine, vietname vet. Right around the time I turned 18 he told me to not go into the Marines, go into the Air Force, go into anything except the Marines.

        Maybe he didn’t like me, but I don’t think that was the case.

    • ililiililiililiilili@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      For the vast majority of those enlisting, I’d say the 35k must go towards a down payment on a 4wd, lifted truck (with balls hanging off the back).

      • YaksDC@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        There are so many predatory car dealers around every American base. All the sign say will finance E1 and up. (E1 is the lowest enlisted rank) They know once they get them to sign if the teenager tries to default they can contact their command and put a lien on their pay.

    • Artyom@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      Well private annual salary is actually $23,011 according to goarmy.com. Idk where the 35k is from, might include a signing bonus or something.

    • aidan@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      In a lot of places, yes it definitely is. With 2.5k a month I have a lot of money leftover.